A man was taken into custody after he attempted to kill two employees during a rampage inside a North Carolina emergency room earlier this week. 

The accused, identified as 24-year-old Rothwell Jacob Simmons, choked a hospital worker unconscious and tried to snap another employee’s neck inside the emergency room at New Hanover Regional Medical Center on Tuesday.

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According to an arrest warrant, the accused threw the first victim on the ground, choking her until she became unconscious. He then attempted to snap the second victim’s neck, leaving her with neck injuries and contusions as he strangled her. 

The accused has since been arrested and charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts of assault by strangulation. His bond was set at $7.5 million.

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According to WECT-TV, Simmons appeared in court on Wednesday. When asked if he wanted to hire his own attorney, Simmons told the judge, “I’m not sure man, I don’t know what the hell got into me.”

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Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Novant Health confirmed the attack. He, however, declined to reveal the extent of the victims’ injuries.

It wasn’t clear if there were any connections between Simmons and the victims. Officials have not said what may have provoked the attack.

“At this time, we can confirm that two team members were injured Tuesday afternoon by an individual inside of NHRMC’s emergency department. I cannot tell you the extent of the injuries at this time. Our first concern is for the employees and their families. For their privacy, we will not discuss any personnel connections to the incident. NHRMC Company Police is currently investigating this incident,” a Novant Health spokesperson wrote in an email to WECT.